Electrostatic precipitators include a modular shell construction containing upright spaced collector electrodes and upright spaced discharge electrodes through which a stream of gas is passed for removal of suspended particles. The collector electrodes are comprised of a series of narrow elongated panel elements held together at their top and bottom ends in side-by-side spaced planar relationship. The discharge electrode assemblies are generally furnished in modular units requiring only to be hung in coplanar relationship between and properly spaced from the collector electrodes. Because of the size, weight and configuration of these electrodes, their assembly and placement within the close confines of the shell of an electrode precipitator requires exceeding care and, consequently, long man hours. For example, there are as many as three-hundred and thirty-six panel elements to be handled, in the installation of the collector electrodes only, for one compartment of a precipitator and each precipitator has at least eight such compartments.
In accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,815, directed to this assembly problem, a plurality of plates is first bundled, then lifted into the precipitator shell for release from the bundle and the plates are individually installed by hand on their supports. Each individual plate is hoisted to its respective position provided within the shell. This kind of piecemeal installation of the plates is tedious, time consuming and expensive.
In accordance with at least one other prior art method the following procedure is carried out:
The panel elements to be assembled are manually removed from their boxes in the assembly area and piled individually for assembly. The individual panel elements are moved by hand to a position on a horizontal jig frame. After assembling one or more full collector electrodes on the jig frame, it is necessary to transport the jig frame and assembled electrodes from the assembly area to the tower crane location where the jig frame and assembled panels are lifted by the tower crane into the hanging bay of the precipitator. The jig frame is then detached from the assembled panels and lowered to the ground for transport back to the assembly area. The assembled panels now hanging in the precipitator bay must be moved individually to the correct location on their hanging supports. This requires the use of the main hoist, a 150 ton crane, to move the individual electrodes, weighing 1 ton each, from a long boom.
After setting the collector electrodes in nine individual movements, it is necessary to handle the discharge electrode frames using the same 150 ton crane and move the pieces one at a time from ground level to their proper location in the precipitator. Experience has indicated that this prior art assembly method produces about 5 installed electrode panels per week. By the instant method, from 8 to 10 or more electrode panels per day can be assembled and installed inside the precipitator.